‏Zach Parise has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Wild

He's earned the right to test the market and I can't get angry at him or about the situation at all yet. In all likelihood, this will be his one time to get superstar offers because whoever signs him will lock him up for 6-10 years. Its tantalizing to any guy. The crux of the situation for me is how long he keeps us waiting, but considering he and Lou are due to begin negotiating much sooner than Sunday, Im on the better end of positive about the situation right now. I believe if we don't have him locked up by July 1st at 12:15pm, he's probably not going to be in NJ. Im fearful of a Niedermayer situation developing. The one positive is that its clear Zach is the best offensive FA out there and he'll likely set the market so some guys will be waiting to see what he does.

That prediction above from someone else about 7/2 at whatever o'clock doesn't float for me. That sort of situation will be aggravating. If its not done by the open/within first few hours of UFA day, I dont think hes coming back.

I predict it gets done Saturday night/Sunday morning. Similar to Langenbrunner a few years ago when it happened basically right at the start of UFA signings.

i'm not exactly sure what plan b is if parise leaves in that i don't know that lou is offering someone like semin a contract on 7/1. there's no top 6 that's really a good fit from UFA. semin? boyes? kostitsyn? stepniak? parenteau? these are the only guys i could consider a possible top 6 upgrade over what would be left if parise left.

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“They’re the ones that makes it happen,” Lemaire said. “It’s not us. It’s not me. It’s not the other guy. It’s not the guy before. It’s not the guy after. It’s them. And they have to take care of business.”
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"I guess I just miss my friend" (#28)

i'm not exactly sure what plan b is if parise leaves in that i don't know that lou is offering someone like semin a contract on 7/1. there's no top 6 that's really a good fit from UFA. semin? boyes? kostitsyn? stepniak? parenteau? these are the only guys i could consider a possible top 6 upgrade over what would be left if parise left.

Is it totally insane to think Nash might be the back up plan? Obviously a large amount of money owing, but less than what would have to be shelled out to keep Parise.

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I collect spores, molds and fungus.Hello fellow American. This you should vote me. I leave power. Good. Thank you, thank you. If you vote me, I'm hot. What? Taxes, they'll be lower... son. The Democratic vote is the right thing to do Philadelphia, so do.How do you spot risk? How do you avoid risk? And what makes it so risky?

Is it totally insane to think Nash might be the back up plan? Obviously a large amount of money owing, but less than what would have to be shelled out to keep Parise.

Yes, that's insane. That would be horrendous. The Devils don't have the bodies to make such a move - they can either go to free agency or, given the kind of movement we've seen in the last few days, I think a trade might work quite nicely - a deal with Edmonton, say.

the Devils just can't replace Parise through trades... first you lose parise... then you have to ship other players (which would be actual NHL player and not picks and prospects) to get maybe another guy that may produce like zach..?

we need to keep him, what zach was bringing to this team is more than production... he was the "heartbeat" of the team... and pretty much anything losing its heartbeat is in trouble

Was Parise the reason we let in 3 goals during a 5 min major in Game 6?

Goaltending is still an issue going forward for this team - and the patch fix tenders are coming off the market day-by-day through trades and re-signs. So what's the immediate 3-year plan for that? Does management really believe that someone is ready in the pipe? OR do we push foolish forward with two 40 year old tenders again hoping that neither gets injured?

Clearly, how important was offense from the back line in the playoffs this year? How lucky were we with Salvador with that?

IMHO, we should be going after Suter or trading for Yandle (with anything not named Henrique, Larsson, Kovy) at all costs. I know we don't have the assets but we need to address this. We can't hold a lead to save a life unless MB is in the zone - how long is that going to last?

I think some people are honestly fooled by this smoke-and-mirrors defense (bring out the stats). If the Goaltending is going to stay on the older side - the defense needs to significantly pick up the slack.

Simply fielding the same team - or close to it - is not going to do it.

I love him - but - Parise is not the lynchpin. He won't determine whether the ship sinks or floats.

Simply fielding the same team - or close to it - is not going to do it.

You don't find this sentence a little odd considering they were a shanked open net shot by Fayne and a Kovalchuk shot off the crossbar away from winning the Cup? I guess you can say they overachieved in the playoffs, but no matter what roster you assemble you kind of need them to perform to their fullest potential to go all the way regardless.

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"Swim against the tide, don't follow the group, stay away from the majority, seek out the fresh and new, stay away from the poseurs, and don't be a barnacle. Be original, be different, be passionate, be selfless and be free. Be a hockey fan."
--John Buccigross

You don't find this sentence a little odd considering they were a shanked open net shot by Fayne and a Kovalchuk shot off the crossbar away from winning the Cup? I guess you can say they overachieved in the playoffs, but no matter what roster you assemble you kind of need them to perform to their fullest potential to go all the way regardless.

You have to be able to kill penalties at key moments. We need defensive depth.

I think the NYR and LAK series alone proves how important offense from the back line is going to be against strong defensive teams.

Was Parise the reason we let in 3 goals during a 5 min major in Game 6?

Goaltending is still an issue going forward for this team - and the patch fix tenders are coming off the market day-by-day through trades and re-signs. So what's the immediate 3-year plan for that? Does management really believe that someone is ready in the pipe? OR do we push foolish forward with two 40 year old tenders again hoping that neither gets injured?

Clearly, how important was offense from the back line in the playoffs this year? How lucky were we with Salvador with that?

IMHO, we should be going after Suter or trading for Yandle (with anything not named Henrique, Larsson, Kovy) at all costs. I know we don't have the assets but we need to address this. We can't hold a lead to save a life unless MB is in the zone - how long is that going to last?

I think some people are honestly fooled by this smoke-and-mirrors defense (bring out the stats). If the Goaltending is going to stay on the older side - the defense needs to significantly pick up the slack.

Simply fielding the same team - or close to it - is not going to do it.

I love him - but - Parise is not the lynchpin. He won't determine whether the ship sinks or floats.

Ryan Suter is not signing with NJ. There is a good chance Zach Parise will. What are we giving up to get Yandle anyway? Keep in mind Phoenix isn't blowing their team up.

And bringing up one 5-min penalty in game 6 of the finals to make any point is absolutely laughable. Calling this defense smoke-and-mirrors is also laughable. I'm surprised you didn't mention Greene by name here.

Edited by devilsrule33, 23 June 2012 - 06:40 PM.

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"The Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars. The new millennium has its first Stanley Cup Champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils." Mike Miller calling the Devils winning the Stanley Cup.

"It goes to the captain and then there are handoffs during a skate around the ice" Mike Emrick as Scott Stevens is being presented the Stanley Cup.

You have to be able to kill penalties at key moments. We need defensive depth.

I think the NYR and LAK series alone proves how important offense from the back line is going to be against strong defensive teams.

Its always been our weakness. Zids helps but is not enough.

This team set the record for best penalty killing percentage in the history of the statistic. For whatever reason, they weren't as good in the playoffs, but if the best PK% ever isn't good enough, then I don't know what is.

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"Swim against the tide, don't follow the group, stay away from the majority, seek out the fresh and new, stay away from the poseurs, and don't be a barnacle. Be original, be different, be passionate, be selfless and be free. Be a hockey fan."
--John Buccigross

Saying they weren't as good is an understatement...they went from record-setting to awful once teams started studying the PK day in and day out.

And yeah maybe some guys like Salvador and Carter/Gionta overachieved, but Elias massively underachieved and Kovy was carrying an elephant on his back the whole playoffs. Zidlicky also didn't look the same after getting clocked in the last game against the Flyers. It's not fair to say they fluked their way through the playoffs. They got production from guys you wouldn't expect to compensate from not getting it from the guys you would.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 23 June 2012 - 06:52 PM.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

Our defense is not a problem. That stretch in game 6 was the fault of the entire team. It was a bad breakdown at the worst possible time when up to that point our PK had fared fairly well against the Kings. You seem to forget how we manhandled the Flyers who were tied for second in the league in scoring during the regular season and were expected to destroy us.

I agree that it would be nice to have more offense coming from the back end, but Larsson will have a year under his belt and mature a bit hopefully + Tallinder will hopefully play the entire year. Zidlicky also played very well in the playoffs until he obviously was playing hurt after the Simmonds hit.

If we lose Zach, we're losing a major contributor to our offense. Its not the end of the world if he does leave, but neither is staying status quo defensively. If Zach leaves, we have a bigger hole to fill there.

Goaltender is obviously a part of the team that needs to be addressed for the future, but Marty has shown he's capable even if he's not the SuperMarty of the past.

Ryan Suter is not signing with NJ. There is a good chance Zach Parise will. What are we giving up to get Yandle anyway? Keep in mind Phoenix isn't blowing their team up.

And bringing up one 5-min penalty in game 6 of the finals to make any point is absolutely laughable. Calling this defense smoke-and-mirrors is also laughable. I'm surprised you didn't mention Greene by name here.

Why is it laughable? What's the explanation?I've yet to hear one other than the validity of the call or non-call?

Just tell me where the offense from the back end is coming from other than Zidlicky?

As for Greene, I haven't typed his name in over a year - but why argue logic when you can simply - roll out the NJDEVs bias history right?

I don't think we have anything we need to get Yandle done - but I also wouldn't have believe the Michalek or JVR trade returns the past few days either.

I'd start the conversation with Zubrus/Tedenby/Josefson... (which won't get it done).

Was Parise the reason we let in 3 goals during a 5 min major in Game 6?

Goaltending is still an issue going forward for this team - and the patch fix tenders are coming off the market day-by-day through trades and re-signs. So what's the immediate 3-year plan for that? Does management really believe that someone is ready in the pipe? OR do we push foolish forward with two 40 year old tenders again hoping that neither gets injured?

Clearly, how important was offense from the back line in the playoffs this year? How lucky were we with Salvador with that?

IMHO, we should be going after Suter or trading for Yandle (with anything not named Henrique, Larsson, Kovy) at all costs. I know we don't have the assets but we need to address this. We can't hold a lead to save a life unless MB is in the zone - how long is that going to last?

I think some people are honestly fooled by this smoke-and-mirrors defense (bring out the stats). If the Goaltending is going to stay on the older side - the defense needs to significantly pick up the slack.

Simply fielding the same team - or close to it - is not going to do it.

I love him - but - Parise is not the lynchpin. He won't determine whether the ship sinks or floats.

Parise is a lynchpin. He's a superb play driver.

Offense from the backend is a red herring. Keith Yandle is not very good, and was awful for Phoenix in the playoffs. Why is there so much talk about him moving? Because Phoenix is one of the smartest organizations in the NHL and they know they've got a player who's overpaid relative to what he brings AND overvalued by NHL teams at large. He's a perfect candidate to move.

It would be nice if the Devils could get a top defender, but they can't. They have to wait for Adam Larsson to grow into being one. Until then, they have to keep their forward depth strong. No, the Devils aren't likely going back to the Cup Finals with or without Parise, but that isn't because the Devils have a flawed team, it's because it's really, really hard to go to the Cup Finals, no matter how good of a team you build.

IF the goaltending situation does not change - the defense will be expected to pick up the slack.

I worry about putting expectations on Larsson. Getting someone like Yandle would let him develop more naturally and on pace.

Our offensive output ratio of help from the defense is extremely out of balance. It worries me.

Merrill should help out there in two years.

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I collect spores, molds and fungus.Hello fellow American. This you should vote me. I leave power. Good. Thank you, thank you. If you vote me, I'm hot. What? Taxes, they'll be lower... son. The Democratic vote is the right thing to do Philadelphia, so do.How do you spot risk? How do you avoid risk? And what makes it so risky?

IF the goaltending situation does not change - the defense will be expected to pick up the slack.

I worry about putting expectations on Larsson. Getting someone like Yandle would let him develop more naturally and on pace.

I dont disagree that Yandle would be a great pickup. We just don't have the assets to get him. Phoenix is not shopping him or blowing the team up. They're listening to offers. We'd have to give up something of value to get him. They were trying to get Staal for him, and we don't have anything of that magnitude we can offer. I agree that if we were going to shop anyone, Josefson/Zubrus would be the prime candidates currently on the roster to do that, but that won't get it done. The other rumor was the Flyers offering JVR.

We'd have to offer Henrique to have a shot at Yandle and no one wants to do that, espc now with Zach's uncertainty. That is virtually the only guy we could put out there to even get Phoenix to sniff. Phoenix is dealing from a position of power with their defensive depth. They dont have to move Yandle.

Offense from the backend is a red herring. Keith Yandle is not very good, and was awful for Phoenix in the playoffs. Why is there so much talk about him moving? Because Phoenix is one of the smartest organizations in the NHL and they know they've got a player who's overpaid relative to what he brings AND overvalued by NHL teams at large. He's a perfect candidate to move.

It would be nice if the Devils could get a top defender, but they can't. They have to wait for Adam Larsson to grow into being one. Until then, they have to keep their forward depth strong. No, the Devils aren't likely going back to the Cup Finals with or without Parise, but that isn't because the Devils have a flawed team, it's because it's really, really hard to go to the Cup Finals, no matter how good of a team you build.

OK - I can buy in to everything except the Yandle evaluation.Yandle was a Norris defender last year and had a down year this playoffs. He's somewhere in between.But this is also why he's probably not paid like Chara, Weber, or Karlson.